If you are seeking for a thriller, mystery,
and historical fiction novel in just one book, this may be the right choice for
you. To enhance the effect, add a touch of savory romance into the enticing
mixture and you are off on a spellbinding adventure. This one turned out to be
another fortunate discovery in a free little library I like to check from time
to time…
The word “genius” comes to my mind as I think
about what this thought-provoking novel encompasses. Even though I have some serious complaints
about it, they do not detract from the genius of this novel. Yet I will delve
into my criticism later in this post.
Lucia
Maraz is a Chilean woman who wanted to add excitement to her life. She is 62
years old and does not want to grow old in a boring place in Chile, so what did
she do? She accepted a position at a university in New York, where she would
only be allowed to work for one year. Once the position comes to an end, she has
no idea what she will do. An acquaintance of hers called Richard Bowmaster is
the professor who invited her to accept this position.
Lucia also becomes Richard Bowmaster’s
tenant, so when a severe snowstorm hits New York in 2015, Lucia is secluded in
the basement apartment under his home. I appreciate the description of the dull
place made cozy by the company of an adorable chihuahua—Marcelo-- who soothes
her and lessens the effects of her solitary days.
Richard
Bowmaster is only one year younger than Lucia. He has a complicated life story with
a history of past tragedies and serious mistakes. However, he manages to
control his anxiety and relies on the presence of his four cats for company.
Richard counts on them to chase mice, but in reality,
he loves those cats more than he cares to admit. Then there is Evelyn Ortega,
an undocumented young refugee from Guatemala who migrated to the United States
under the most dangerous conditions after gangs threatened her life. These
gangs had already slaughtered her two brothers.
When Richard bumps into the car Evelyn is
driving on his way back from the vet, he apologizes and gives her a card with
his contact details. It was a minor accident, but the incident sets the
conditions for the novel to unfold. It was a dark, cold night in the aftermath
of a severe snowstorm.
After parting ways, Evelyn appears at his
doorstep later that night, and Richard calls Lucia to help him communicate with
Evelyn. The situation gets even more stressful when Evelyn reports that she has
found a dead body in the trunk of the car she has been driving. The car belongs
to the family she works for as an undocumented immigrant. It would be too risky
for Evelyn to report this incident due to her undocumented status. They know
that she would be blamed for the crime, so the three of them embark on a road
trip to safely get rid of the body. The strange situation poses several questions:
Who is the dead person? Who killed the person? How is the crime related to the family who hires Evelyn?
Isabel
Allende packs a lot in this novel. I appreciate the depth of her narrative and the social and
historical contexts associated with the complicated life stories of the characters. I can tell
that Isabel Allende feels empathy for the characters despite their flaws and
blunders. Their chaotic experiences awaken
the reader’s interest and spark intrigue.
Why do I love this novel?
In The Midst of Winter is gripping and thought-provoking. The author's exquisite literary skills add a special feature to her work.
I enjoy
following the adventure of these three characters. There is an impending sense of danger, but
there is also a thread of hope running through it. As we get to know these complex characters, we
become aware of how they have managed to survive tragic past experiences.
The social,
historical and cultural aspects of the novel create an immersive experience for
the reader. During their escapade, complications and challenges arise. As these
three characters share their life stories, their sense of companionship grows
into a kind of friendship that transcends the gaps of cultures and
perspectives. In that intimate space of
connection, they empathize with one another and find common ground. Love, grief
and despair unite them in warm conversations in the midst of winter…
The experience of being in exile
Lucia Maraz had lost her brother in the 1970s,
during the fascist dictatorship of Pinochet in Chile. After her brother’s
disappearance, she had to exile to Canada to protect her own life, because she
received threats. Around 37,000 people were imprisoned and/or tortured during Pinochet’s
fascist dictatorship; 3,700 people disappeared during that same period.
When Lucia went back to Chile with the return
of democracy in 1990, she felt like an outsider in her home country. Everything
had changed. Her experience was made worse by the ways she was judged by the
people of her own country. She felt like a misfit. Leftists accused her of
being a “coward” for having left the country while right wing people accused
her of being a “communist”. However, during her years of exile in Canada, her
communication with her mother had deepened. They had exchanged several letters.
Even before receiving an answer, they would be writing another letter to each
other… Their letters were like life journals…This avid exchange had probably
nourished their relationship and had helped Lucia to understand herself better…
The power
of Isabel Allende’s writing
The intimate perceptions and experiences of
the characters make the writing powerful. Except for a few blunders, Isabel
Allende offers a kind of depth that accentuates my interest in the characters.
She exposes complex realities with insight, clarity and knowledge. I will be
reading more of her books.
Social and political contexts that boost my interest in her writing
I appreciate how the author digs into
topics that help to understand the social and political context. She somehow finds the circumstances
to do so.
As a professor, Lucia gave a conference about
the fascist dictatorship in Chile. I was not so astonished when somebody in the
audience pointed out that Pinochet’s economy had been successful. Isabel
Allende exposes the propaganda machine that led to such false beliefs. Lucia
revealed that it is not true that the dictatorship was beneficial for the
economy. It may have been of benefit to the wealthy, but poverty and
unemployment increased significantly in Chile as a result of it.
Criticism/complaints
1) The author explains that Lucia Maraz “feels complete by herself” in the basement apartment under Richard’s home, but on the next line she reveals that Lucia did consider a dating app to meet somebody and quickly changed her mind because she did not want her daughter to find out. Also, she has a secret desire for Richard, so this sets the stage for a confusing ambiguity. Did she travel to New York to seek new job opportunities or is she interested in Richard? It could be both, but what bothers me is this trend to view women as potential romantic partners instead of viewing them as independent individuals with intellectual interests and personal aspirations. It also feeds the prejudice that women are irrational and cannot be happy by themselves. I did not like this at all. On the other hand, Richard is happily engaged in intellectual pursuits, surrounded by books, while Lucia is thinking about Richard all the time. It is a bit stupid to portray women in this light.
Lucia longs to have a meaningful relationship
with him or with a suitable partner. Again, why can’t a woman be okay
without any romantic interests? This prejudice is very damaging to women in
society as this can lead to the idea that everything is done with some kind of
sexual/romantic interest while men are free to pursue their passions and
interests without being judged, scrutinized or bothered.
2) Why did they give “weed cookies” to Evelyn? That was unnecessary and inappropriate. It did not add anything to the story line. Evelyn is in a vulnerable situation and there is no reason to give her “weed cookies”. What is the point of that? I just don’t get it.
3) When Lucia was 36 years old, she met a man who was researching the disappearances of people during the dictatorship. Lucia was writing a book about the topic, so she reached out to him. When she met him in person, she thought “he was the most athletic man she had ever met in her life.” She fell in love with the guy. They had unprotected sex on the first day they met. Really? Are we supposed to believe than an educated woman would do this? This absurd, unrealistic situation does a good job of feeding the prejudice that Latina women are hypersexual and willing to embark on risky, thoughtless behaviors. I was very disappointed to read this. It may help the author to sell books. It feeds negative prejudices about Latina women and can lead to irrational excuses to treat Latina women with disrespect, to slander them easily. You can also read my post about this topic here.
4) There are a couple of lines about bats that promote negative propaganda against bats. Isabel Allende: do your research. I had my own prejudices against bats in the past but then I educated myself and learned something new.
Despite the serious complaints
I expressed about the novel, In the Midst of Winter is a remarkable
masterpiece. The characters are well developed and complex. I enjoyed the
twists and turns, the vivid settings, the emotional experience and the
thought-provoking nature of the narrative, which integrates historical and
cultural aspects seamlessly. The author weaves into the mystery several topics
of relevance, and I love that the ending is hopeful. I look forward to reading
more works by this author.
Relevant links:
You can
learn more about fascism by visiting this link:
If you
enjoyed this post, you can read my writing on the following book:
The Japanese Lover by Isabell Allende
I want to recommend this independent journalist in case you have not come across her work. Her name is Katie Phang. I am sharing her reporting here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXL1e1vPn0M
